Santacruz building: BMC issues notice to Mohit Kamboj

Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a show cause notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mohit Kamboj for illegal alterations within the premises of the building.

This comes two weeks after the BMC officials carried out an inspection in the Khushi Pride Belmondo building in Santacruz (West), in which Kamboj resides and owns four flats.

The notice was issued by the H/West ward office of the BMC on April 4 and was served in the name of Aksha Kamboj (Mohit’s wife), owner and occupier of the ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th floors and the terrace of the Belmondo building.

In the show cause notice, the BMC has pointed out several alterations and termed them as unauthorised construction. Some of the findings include amalgamation of two flats and converting it into a habitable area by removing walls, a living room on the ninth floor was converted to a saloon and the ducts attached to the toilet area were covered to merge it with pantry, construction of toilet in the duct areas and making it habitable, converting a kitchen into a drawing room and removing the internal staircases, merging flower beds with a prayer room and converting a living and dining room into a dressing room with attached bathroom.

In the notice, the BMC has also asked Kamboj to file a reply within seven days. In the notice, it has also been mentioned that if the authorities find Kamboj’s reply to be unsatisfactory, then certain parts of the building in which alterations have been carried out will be removed or pulled down at the cost and risk of the owners.

“I have been living in this property for five years now and all the works were carried out inside the premises of our flats and no external alterations have been done. There has also not been any structural changes in the building. Changing or amending the interiors of a property is permissible by law and we have not violated any rule. I will file a detailed reply and approach the High Court as well,” said Mohit Kamboj.

Besides Kamboj’s flat, the BMC also found violations in the parking area, basement and first floor of the building and have sent a similar notice to the chairman, secretary of the building and owner and occupier of the first floor flat.

The parking violations include construction of an office and construction of a library below one of the ramps.

When contacted, senior officials of the BMC refrained from making any comment on record. A senior official requesting anonymity said, “We have issued notice individually to each and every owner and all the alterations were studied and examined carefully. We will wait for reply and take next step as per protocol,”

Kamboj has been at loggerheads with the allies of Maharashta Vikas Aghadi government. Earlier in February, he was booked for celebrating the arrest of National Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik. Last month, he made allegations of corruption against Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and also demanded investigation of the BMC chief in connection with the corruption case of Yeshwant Chavan, Shiv Sena corporator and former chairperson of the civic standing committee.